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ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office said on Friday that the government assured Chinese leadership of the highest level of priority to safety and security of Chinese personnel and projects.
Asim Iftikhar, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Office, stated during his weekly media briefing that Pakistan’s government has given the safety and security of Chinese employees, programs, and projects the highest level of priority.
“We continue to have discussions with our Chinese friends on this. At the highest levels the assurances have been communicated to the Chinese leadership regarding Pakistan’s commitment to ensure the safety and security and to take all necessary measures in that regard,” he added.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stressed the importance of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for Pakistan’s economic and social growth during his conversations with the Chinese leadership during the most recent visit, he said.
The Karachi Circular Railway (KCR), the Gwadar port and free zone projects, as well as collaboration in the fields of agriculture, mining, IT, and socioeconomic development were all discussed, he continued.
He claimed that CPEC has been operating for a considerable amount of time and has helped to revive Pakistan’s economic growth. According to him, the first phase of CPEC concentrated on infrastructure projects and the lack of available energy, while the second phase concentrated on agriculture, industrialization, and socioeconomic development. There is currently a renewed emphasis on some of the major infrastructure projects.
“CPEC is a flagship project of BRI. It is a project that is aiming at development and socioeconomic progress, not only in Pakistan, but the entire region and beyond,” he said, adding that this is a project for the long term and there are many activities that have been concluded. There are others that are in the pipeline, and there will be projects in the future with mutual agreement and understanding, he added.
On Pakistan’s position on “One China” policy, he said that these are Pakistan’s long-stated and long-held principled positions in support of China’s core issues. “Pakistan has expressed its support for China all along and we will continue to do that. I don’t think it should impact any of our bilateral relations with other countries,” he said in response to a question as to whether this policy may impact Pakistan’s ties with the US.
